August 07, 2013

Bailey's 59-yard field goal in practice warms Garrett's heart: 'He is as cool as they come'

The Cowboys opted to end a game situation in practice
Tuesday with a 59-yard kick by Dan Bailey.

Why not? Jason Garrett appears to have as much confidence in
Bailey as he ever has.

“The best option was to give this kid a chance to kick it,
and he made it from 59,” Garrett said. “You could make a compelling argument
that he does his job as well as anybody does theirs on this team.”

Garrett has a case. Bailey has made seven game-winning kicks
for the Cowboys (against three misses in the same situation) and has been good
on 61 of 68 field goals. He is 76-for-76 on extra points.

“He’s about as reliable a guy as I have been around kicking
the football,” Garrett said. “He’s about as professional a guy as I have been
around. He has some unbelievable traits in terms of his preparations and how conscientious
he is. He is an outstanding athlete, and he is as cool as they come. He made an
unbelievable kick yesterday, and we are just lucky to have him.”

Bailey came to the Cowboys in 2011 as an undrafted rookie
out of Oklahoma State, where he won the Lou Groza award
as the nation’s top kicker.

He said he’s had a good camp, although he has struggled with
the wind on the City of Oxnard Fields
where the Cowboys are training.

“I don’t remember it being this windy last year, at least
consistently,” he said. “It’s definitely good because you just never know when
you’re going to get wind, especially in our division playing up there in Philly
and New York.
Something is always going up there it seems like. It’s good practice for sure.”